08/01/2013 - Casting Kad Merad, Monica Bellucci and Eric Elmosnino, the film by Danièle Thompson will open the “Rendez-vous with French Cinema”

On Tuesday, January 15, the 15th edition of the “Rendez-vous with French Cinema” held by Unifrance for seven days in Paris will open with a gala evening featuring the premiere of Danièle Thompson's 5th feature film: It Happened in Saint-Tropez.  The movie tops the bill in the Parisian line-up of Pathé International in the wake of previous results chalked up by the film-maker’s opuses (La buche in 1999, Jet Lag in 2002, Avenue Montaigne [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in 2006 and Le code a changé [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in 2009), which have all reached between 1 and 2 million admissions in France, with very good sales abroad as a bonus. It Happened in Saint-Tropez should not be the exception, particularly thanks to its cast including Kad Merad (Welcome to the Sticks [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Superstar [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile]), Italian actress Monica Bellucci (A Burning Hot Summer [+see also:
trailer
interview: Philippe Garrel
film profile]), Eric Elmosnino (César award for best actor for Gainsbourg [+see also:
trailer
Interview with Joann Sfar, director of…
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile] in 2011) and Valérie Bonneton.

Written by the director and her son Christopher, the script is based on the unfortunate collision of two events: the funeral of Zef’s wife and the marriage of Roni’s daughter. This unexpected situation aggravates the conflicts between the two brothers who already have little in common: work, women and religious austerity for one, joie de vivre for the other, everything apart from their old father with a wandering mind and their two daughters who adore each other. In London, Paris, Saint-Tropez and New York, with clashes, misunderstandings and betrayals, the family scene is about to erupt, though thanks to these quarrels and chaotic reconciliations, a great love story - or maybe two - could well be born. 

Produced by Pathé Films and G Films, It Happened in Saint-Tropez will be distributed by Pathé in French cinemas on April 24 and has already been pre-purchased for Italy, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Greece, Switzerland, Israel, Turkey and the CIS.

At the Rendez-vous with French Cinema, Pathé International will screen six other movies including Cycling with Molière by Philippe Le Guay, the comedy Turf by Fabien Onteniente (with Alain Chabat and Edouard Baer) and Bad Girl by Patrick Mille. Muriel Sauzay’s team will, however, also negotiate for the other titles on the enticing line-up, movies in production (Beauty and the Beast by Christophe Gans and Philomena by Stephen Frears) or post-production: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom by Justin Chadwick, An Enemy by Denis Villeneuve, The Scapegoat by Nicolas Bary and Jappeloup by Christian Duguay.

(Translated from French)